The Words We All Misuse Quiz

We've all been guilty of misusing words at one time or another, but there are some words that trip people up more than others. Can you figure out the correct word to use in each sentence?

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Question 1 of 30

I'm done with the job for all __________, but I haven't had my exit interview yet.

intents and purposes

It sounds like "intensive purposes," but it's "intents and purposes."

intensive purposes

Question 2 of 30

The __________ of New York is Albany.

Capitol

capitol

capital

The capital of New York is Albany — "capital" is for cities (and money matters). "Capitol" always refers to a building, and "Capitol" with a capital C refers to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Question 3 of 30

Tom wasn't too upset that Amy had been fired. He had never really liked her __________.

anyways

anyway

Always "anyway," never "anyways." Ever.

Question 4 of 30

The Empire State Building is taller __________ the Chrysler Building.

than

"Than" is for comparison, and "then" tells when.

then

Question 5 of 30

The teacher's pointed questions failed to __________ any answers from the class.

illicit

elicit

"Illicit" is an adjective referring to going against morals or rules. "Elicit" is a verb meaning to draw out or evoke.

Question 6 of 30

Justin was __________ by the fireworks; he'd seen better pyrotechnics.

nonplussed

unimpressed

This is a controversial one. "Nonplussed" means "stunned or bewildered." But so many people use it to mean "unimpressed" that grammarians say the word is transforming. It's a tough call, but we're saying "unimpressed" is the correct word here.

They mean the same thing.

Question 7 of 30

It's so __________ that it rained on their wedding day.

ironic

unfortunate

Rain on your wedding day, or a free ride when you've already paid, are not ironic events. They're just unusual, unexpected or unfortunate happenings. This is not the spot to debate the many usages and definitions of irony, but most coincidences are not ironic.

They mean the same thing.

Question 8 of 30

Rebecca went shopping for some __________ outfits to wear on her work trip.

practicable

practical

We guess it is possible that Rebecca wanted some outfits to be "put into use successfully," but more likely she wants "suitable" clothing for her trip.

Question 9 of 30

__________ of what you think should happen, we're still going ahead with the renovation.

regardless

"Irregardless" seems to be gaining a foothold in the language, but it's not a word. Just say "regardless."

irregardless

Question 10 of 30

I'm __________ of that mean-looking dog next door. It could be nice, but you never know.

"Flaunt" means to show off, and "flout" means to break the rules. "Their" is possessive, "they're" means they are and "there" always refers to a place.

flout/their/there

Question 12 of 30

We were terrified on the __________ mountain roads.

tortuous

They differ by only one letter, but the meanings are very different. "Tortuous" means twisting or winding and "torturous" means "causing pain and suffering." So, tortuous roads could be torturous in some situations, but they're not the same thing.

torturous

Question 13 of 30

I'm not under any __________ that our plane will actually leave on time tonight.

illusions

An allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misguided perception or belief.

allusions

Question 14 of 30

She was clearly __________ to the fact that she lost her job last week.

eluding

alluding

Because an allusion is an indirect reference, "alluding" means to indirectly refer to something. To "elude" is to hide. And "illude" is just a fake word.

illuding

Question 15 of 30

The __________ quilt looked lovely in the master bedroom.

simplistic

simple

"Simplistic" actually means "overly or naively simple," like a simplistic explanation or a simplistic view of life. A quilt is just simple.

They mean the same thing.

Question 16 of 30

The child's tantrum had absolutely no __________ on his mother. She just took his hand and quietly led him out of the store.

affect

effect

When we're talking about nouns, "effect" is a change that resulted from some kind of action. "Affect" is a person's emotional demeanor.

Question 17 of 30

Paul __________ an English accent every time he answered the phone.

affected

"Affect" and "effect" are also verbs. "Affect" as a verb means "to have an influence on," "to touch someone emotionally," or "to put on a pretense." "Effect" means "to cause something to happen," or "to bring about."

effected

Question 18 of 30

Lawrence was so __________ after the motivational speech that he went for a jog when he got home.

enervated

energized

"Enervated" and "energized" are often used interchangeably for some reason, but they're actually opposites.

They mean the same thing.

Question 19 of 30

We've decided to pay down the __________ of our mortgage instead of going on vacation this summer.

principle

principal

"Principal" has many meanings, including your "pal" the head of school (or the head of a business) — and the non-interest portion of a loan.

Question 20 of 30

On __________, I refuse to buy from any cosmetics company that tests on animals.

principle

"Principle" always refers to a rule or belief.

principal

Question 21 of 30

The soldier was __________ at dawn the day after he was convicted of murder.

hung

hanged

In general, "hung" is for inanimate objects, like curtains and coats, and "hanged" is for people.

Question 22 of 30

The __________ moment in the movie came when the hero was dangling from a bridge.

climatic

climactic

"Climactic" is for the climax, or high point. "Climatic" refers to the climate.

Question 23 of 30

I'll give you some money __________ your tuition if you get good grades this semester.

toward

"Towards" is never the correct answer.

towards

Question 24 of 30

My grandparents __________ here from Ireland.

immigrated

"Emigrate" and "immigrate" are very similar in both spelling and meaning. When the focus of the sentence is on the place the person left, it's "emigrate." When the focus is on the place the person ended up, it's "immigrated." It's the "here" right after the verb that puts the focus on where hey wound up in this case.

emigrated

Question 25 of 30

__________ never going to win that race if you don't start training.

you're

"You're" = "you are," and never anything else.

your

Question 26 of 30

Taylor had a/an __________ expression on her face when she heard the joke — it was pretty funny.

She had never been so happy as when she finally __________ that heavy suitcase down on the floor.

laid

"Lay" requires a direct object: You lay something down. "Laid" is the past tense of "lay."

layed

lied

Question 28 of 30

I'm going to __________ down in bed and take a nice, long nap.

lay

lie

Again, "lay" requires a direct object: You lay something down. "Lie" does not require a direct object: You lie down in bed.

Question 29 of 30

When I __________ down in bed last night, I fell right asleep.

lay

But of course it's not always so straightforward. "Lay" is also the past tense of "lie," so it's not totally true that "lay" always needs a direct object. You can also "lay" on a bed (but only in the past).

layed

lie

lied

Question 30 of 30

Lisa said she __________ if Tony went to the party with another girl. They had broken up weeks ago.

could care less

couldn't care less

If you want to get literal about a figure of speech, "couldn't care less" is correct. If you "could care less," you're saying that it is possible you could care even less. But if you couldn't care less, you are officially at rock bottom of caring. Lisa could not possibly care any less about Tony.